4 ms·

> The world needs them to focus on the greater goals of stopping catastrophic environmental destruction and improving well-being. It would be nice to see some

by dsign 5y ago

> The world needs them to focus on the greater goals of stopping catastrophic environmental destruction and improving well-being. It would be nice to see some science fiction where people succeed at doing just that, not with futuristic tech, but with the tech and constraints we have today. "Alia, have you ever tasted meat?" "The synthetic type?" "Yes, of course." "Yes, for one birthday, my friends cooked some." ... "My grandpa is sailing to the States for a company convention, he will be back for Easter. It's so relaxing... can't imagine when one hundred years ago people had to travel in airplanes without stretching their legs for eight hours. You can stretch your legs during all the weeks you spend in the ocean, you know." ... Oh the plot twists!

nickpp 5y ago
Old communist propaganda worked a lot like that. The sci-fi of the era described a future deeply permeated by their ideology. The nice part was that is was universally optimistic - no dystopias allowed in the red future. The bad part was that is was ridiculous: they were talking about astronauts and colonizing far away planets while we were starving in food lines. Still, as a child behind the iron curtain lacking access to western writings, I read and enjoyed quite a lot of it. Not sure if you can find it anymore though.
el_nahual 5y ago
We have the technology, it's called "taxes", but nobody seems to want to use it. I suspect that it's actually because nobody has actually find the legwork to go beyond that: how much in taxes, levied how, the money goes where, what are the penalties for non compliance? And of course the sci-fi elements: what are the unintended consequences? How does life change? Who loses, who wins?
- dsign 5y ago
  > We have the technology, it's called "taxes", but nobody seems to want to use it. We are seeing a little bit of that now with fuel prices. Some countries are compounding the pain by having high taxes on fuel. The way it is working for me personally is that I have decided to drive electric, and I'm glad that I can afford it. But I have a salary in the high percentiles. Most people simply can't go that way. IMO, in some cases regulation by taxation can create a lot of stress and increase inequality. Furthermore, if cars are affordable to one person out of twenty, and they happen to live in a democracy, there may be an incentive for the nineteen people to vote (directly or indirectly) for banning cars altogether.Fill in "meat", "airplanes", "crypto-currency mining-cards", etc. I think we are between the knife and a hard place, no matter what.
  - amanaplanacanal 5y ago
    Are there places where fuel taxes actually exceed the amount needed to maintain the infrastructure? It doesn't seem likely anywhere in the US, but I know taxes are higher elsewhere.
    - tonyedgecombe 5y ago
      I think it does in the UK. Taxes aren't hypothecated but my understanding is road, car and fuel taxes bring in about twice as much as we spend maintaining the infrastructure.
- InitialLastName 5y ago
  > I suspect that it's actually because nobody has actually find the legwork to go beyond that: how much in taxes, levied how, the money goes where, what are the penalties for non compliance? It seems like everyone paying attention wants to use it, there are a number of proposals for exactly the issues you raise, and yet it still never happens. One might almost suspect that the people who fund the people who make policy decisions don't want it to happen. It even almost seems like they may be beholden to demands for short-term profits.
yaur 5y ago
The sub genre you are looking for is called Cosy Catastrophe. https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CosyCatastrophe https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CosyCatastrophe has some options you might enjoy
vidarh 5y ago
One of the books in Kim Stanley Robinsons Three California's trilogy is basically that (the other too is a post-apocalyptic Orange County and one where the sprawl and traffic just got worse and worse), including a resurgence of sail boats, if I remember correctly.
- kiliantics 5y ago
  KSR has recently written Ministry for the Future, which is basically the most realistic story you could conceive, knowing what we know today, for how the world can mitigate the worst possible climate outcomes (while still not choosing to act meaningfully until millions die in heatwaves around the world)

by dsign 5y ago

nickpp 5y ago

Old communist propaganda worked a lot like that. The sci-fi of the era described a future deeply permeated by their ideology. The nice part was that is was universally optimistic - no dystopias allowed in the red future. The bad part was that is was ridiculous: they were talking about astronauts and colonizing far away planets while we were starving in food lines. Still, as a child behind the iron curtain lacking access to western writings, I read and enjoyed quite a lot of it. Not sure if you can find it anymore though.

el_nahual 5y ago

We have the technology, it's called "taxes", but nobody seems to want to use it. I suspect that it's actually because nobody has actually find the legwork to go beyond that: how much in taxes, levied how, the money goes where, what are the penalties for non compliance? And of course the sci-fi elements: what are the unintended consequences? How does life change? Who loses, who wins?

dsign 5y ago
> We have the technology, it's called "taxes", but nobody seems to want to use it. We are seeing a little bit of that now with fuel prices. Some countries are compounding the pain by having high taxes on fuel. The way it is working for me personally is that I have decided to drive electric, and I'm glad that I can afford it. But I have a salary in the high percentiles. Most people simply can't go that way. IMO, in some cases regulation by taxation can create a lot of stress and increase inequality. Furthermore, if cars are affordable to one person out of twenty, and they happen to live in a democracy, there may be an incentive for the nineteen people to vote (directly or indirectly) for banning cars altogether.Fill in "meat", "airplanes", "crypto-currency mining-cards", etc. I think we are between the knife and a hard place, no matter what.
- amanaplanacanal 5y ago
  Are there places where fuel taxes actually exceed the amount needed to maintain the infrastructure? It doesn't seem likely anywhere in the US, but I know taxes are higher elsewhere.
  - tonyedgecombe 5y ago
    I think it does in the UK. Taxes aren't hypothecated but my understanding is road, car and fuel taxes bring in about twice as much as we spend maintaining the infrastructure.
InitialLastName 5y ago
> I suspect that it's actually because nobody has actually find the legwork to go beyond that: how much in taxes, levied how, the money goes where, what are the penalties for non compliance? It seems like everyone paying attention wants to use it, there are a number of proposals for exactly the issues you raise, and yet it still never happens. One might almost suspect that the people who fund the people who make policy decisions don't want it to happen. It even almost seems like they may be beholden to demands for short-term profits.

yaur 5y ago

The sub genre you are looking for is called Cosy Catastrophe. https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CosyCatastrophe https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CosyCatastrophe has some options you might enjoy

vidarh 5y ago

One of the books in Kim Stanley Robinsons Three California's trilogy is basically that (the other too is a post-apocalyptic Orange County and one where the sprawl and traffic just got worse and worse), including a resurgence of sail boats, if I remember correctly.

kiliantics 5y ago
KSR has recently written Ministry for the Future, which is basically the most realistic story you could conceive, knowing what we know today, for how the world can mitigate the worst possible climate outcomes (while still not choosing to act meaningfully until millions die in heatwaves around the world)